Invest in Africa and make a difference, Inonge Wina tells Africans in the Diaspora

VICE-PRESIDENT Inonge Wina
Zambia’s Vice President Mrs. Inonge Wina has called upon all Africans in the Diaspora to invest back in their respective home countries and be part of transforming Africa.

And the Vice President said Africa needs to address pertinent issues like infrastructure, human capital development and good governance to leverage its strengths and benefit from its engagement with the rest of the world, and unlock its latent potential.

Officiating at the at the 3rd Annual Africa Summit where she was invited by the London School of Economics (LSE) to deliver a keynote opening address under the theme: “Africa within a Global Context: Thinking Beyond Investments” on Saturday, the Vice-President said Africans in the diaspora needed to make a difference and invest in Africa.

“I must use this forum to call upon our brothers and sisters in the diaspora to invest back in their respective home countries and be part of the transformation. Evidence has shown that in some countries, remittances from the dispora far exceed aid received, and that shows you the strength that lies within us as a people. It is home grown investments by Africans across African borders such as Dangote group that will bring sustainable socio-economic development, I wish to reiterate my call to Africans in the diaspora to make a difference and invest in Africa, she said.

She said it was the home grown investment solutions that would deliver sustainable development for all.

Mrs Wina said Africans needed to start looking inward for home grown investment solutions to support diversification of its economies and move away from dependence on one or two commodities exported as raw materials especially in the face of volatility in commodity prices.

The Vice President said African Governments, were committed to providing an enabling environment and mutual benefit for the investors and local people to invest.

And she said Africa continued to face the challenge of inadequate infrastructure to support economic and social development initiatives.

Mrs Wina said that lack of proper infrastructure added to the cost of doing business in Africa, made African products uncompetitive on the global market adding that there is need for concerted efforts to mobilise resources for pan-African and regional infrastructure projects in Africa.

“In order to enhance the competitiveness of African products, there is need to reduce the cost of doing business, which is relatively high compared to the developed world due to a number of factors such as bureaucratic licensing and regulatory formalities, poor infrastructure and logistics and high cost of ICT. There is also need to address issues of non-tariff barriers and market restrictions that African exports are subjected,” she said.

She called upon scholars and researchers at the London School of Economics to come up with solutions that will deliver inclusive economic growth and development and appealed to the investors and businesses operating in Africa to be responsible corporate citizens and be a part of the transformation to uplift the living standards of the people in their areas of operation with particular focus on women and the youth.

“Africa remains a shining star even in an uncertain global economic environment because of the vast natural resources that the continent is endowed with. The challenge I wish to throw to you; scholars, academicians and researchers is to come with economic development models that will ensure that African natural resources are exploited in manner that benefits Africans,” she said.

22 COMMENTS

Brilliant!!! I am proud of this daughter of Africa and Zambia, Bo Inonge!
There goes one of the many potential running mates that Edgar has at his disposal. What about HH, small boy, or “Commentator”, is he still holding on to fat Albert alias GBM?

INVEST IN WHAT? LOAD SHEDDING ETC, HOW CAN ANYONE DO BUSINESS HERE PLUS THE UNSTABLE POLITICAL CLIMATE. BE SERIOUS DO YOU THINK THE WORLD IS NOT LISTENING AND WATCHING. NOTHING PERSONAL WITH INONGE BUT I WOULD RESIGN ON PRINCIPLE IF I WERE HER.

There is a challenge to Commentator, be like Dangote that true son of Africa. If you are that good at economics and business, that is your calling not politics. You can better serve Zambians, including those university students whose future you have spoilt with your underfive politics, by investing in productive sectors of our economy and employing those youths that you pretend to love.
Your ambition for State House is misplaced and a waste of talent (that is if indeed you do have it) for you will lose again in 2016 ….and in 2021 too if GBM and Canissius Banda would not have kicked you out by then for being a perpetual loser.

Instead of asking members of diaspora from any corner of Africa to come back and invest theirs life savings, it will be better if instead you ask fellow corrupt African leaders to return ill-gotten wealth to the African Nations from where that wealth has been stolen in first place.

Comment:namanje dual citizenship not operationalized in zambia. why rush to change the constitution when you dont want to effect th new citizenship laws.we are still foreignors not yet zambians , even if th new constitution says we are citizens. synchronize the laws fast .change th citizenship laws fast

@2.1, 2REP: Her Honour Madam Inonge Wina was talking about a specific issue relevant to the topic at the time. Relevance young boy relevance, when you are invited to speak at a prestigious event like that, you stick to the point. Remember that she was not addressing politicians, it was THE London School of Economics. But that is not to say that other options are not welcome. If you can prove that Madam Inonge has corruptly obtained or stolen government money and stashed away some of it foreign lands. But from what we have read in the recently leaked Panama Files story, Edgar and Inonge are not mentioned. In other words, like Commentator, you are fishing in a dry pond. Your comments serve only to alienate voters from UPND, which you are misinterpreting as attempted by Priscilla Isaacs.

I ENCOUNTERED HER EXCELLENCY THE VICE PRESIDENT OF ZAMBIA YESTERDAY. MY CONCLUSION ABOUT HER WAS: ANY WORD I WILL OR ANY OTHER PERSON MAY USE TO DESCRIBE HER WILL FALL SHORT OF HER DESCRIPTION. THIS LADY COMBINES MANY THINGS IN HER PERSONA. FIRST OF ALL WHEN YOU HEAR HER TALK YOU FEEL IT THAT SHE IS A REAL MOTHER, SHE HAS A REAL AND VERY DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF POLITICAL, ECONOMICAL, DEVELOPMENTAL AND OTHER WORLDLY ISSUES, SHE HAS THE POWER TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, SHE’S GENUINELY VERY LOVING. THEREFORE, YOU INSTANTLY, STARTING CONCLUDING AND AGREEING WHY FIRST THE LATE MICHAEL C SATA MADE HER HIS PARTY SECOND IN COMMAND AND LATELY WHY ECL ECHOED SATA TO ALSO MAKE HER NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT. SHE IS MORE THAN SUITABLE FOR ALL THESE POSITIONS. MAY GOD JEHOVAH LOOK AFTER HER. I LOVE INONGE…

@jay Jay, Her Honour Madam Inonge Wina is many times more educated than you, she is held in high esteem by her former college in Los Angeles and by the London School of Economics itself. Haven’t you been following the news recently? Or you have been busy drafting comments for Commentator, as usual?
@3 and @7, as far as I know, a Commentator’s investments are largely in Zambia which you call war torn, I mean the cattle ranches, the hotels, etc. are they not in Zambia? Are Namwala, Monze, and Livingstone and Lusaka not in Zambia? Or has he got investments in cement, or oil, or iron and steel, or coal in foreign lands which we don’t know about? Or Panama maybe? huh?

@ 10 Peter, I agree with you 100%. Compare Madam Inonge with shady characters like Guy Scottt who thought that the only qualification to be the Vice President of Zambia was to be a Muzungu, a muzungu opusa to borrow Commentator’s words.

The mother of all liars.
We have not forgotten how she collaborated an alledged attack by UPND on her houses in mongu only to find there was no witnesses. Not a shred of evidence and the alleged suspects were bumbling drugged PF thugs.
Same thing with the bweengwa kidnapping, the mother of all liars was jumping and screaming only to find the suspects were bumbling PF kaponyas

I have no faith in women leading the country. Lungu is playing some stupid political games by pointing her as a vice president so he can continue his corrupt practices. Investing in a country with a high rate of corruption is meaningless for any economics. Not me.